Game Notes: Patriots vs. Texans

PATRIOTS ADVANCE TO NINTH AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME With the 41-28 victory over Houston Texans, New England has advanced to its ninth AFC Championship Game where they will face the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots have compiled a 7-1 all-time record in AFC Championship Games, including a 4-0 record at home and a 3-0 record at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots’ only AFC Championship loss was in the 2006 playoffs at Indianapolis. It is the third time in team history that the Patriots have advanced to the AFC Championship game in back-to-back seasons, having also done so in 2003-2004 and 2006-2007.

PATRIOTS WILL FACE RAVENS IN AFC CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON The Patriots and Ravens will face off in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium for the second consecutive season. It is the fourth time since the NFL-AFL merger that two teams have met in the AFC Championship Game in consecutive seasons. Oakland and Pittsburgh are the only teams to meet in three consecutive AFC Championship Games.

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BACK-TO-BACK SINCE 1970 MERGER Year / Teams2011-12 New England and Baltimore 1986-87 Denver and Cleveland 1978-79 Pittsburgh and Houston 1974-76 Oakland and Pittsburgh

PATRIOTS WIN 20th PLAYOFF GAME OF ROBERT KRAFT’S OWNERSHIP The Patriots won their 20 playoff game since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. New England’s 20 playoff victories over that span are the most in the NFL (Pittsburgh, 17). New England also leads the league in total victories (225), Super Bowl titles (3), conference championships (7), and division championships (12) since Kraft purchased the team.

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 10-6 IN DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAMES With the win over the Texans, the Patriots are now 10-6 all-tome in Divisional Playoff games.

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 14-3 AT HOME IN PLAYOFFS The Patriots now have a 14-3 (.824) all time record in home playoff games. The Patriots’ .824 winning percentage at home in the postseason is the best among teams with at least 10 home playoff games.

PATRIOTS IMPROVE IN ALL-TIME PLAYOFF GAME RESULTS The Patriots have compiled a 24-16 record in their 40 playoff games and their .600 playoff winning percentage is tied for fourth best in NFL history among teams that have played at least 15 playoff games.

BRADY MOVES UP ON POSTSEASON LISTSTom Brady had three touchdowns against Houston, raising his career playoff total to 41 touchdown passes to become just the third NFL quarterback with 40 touchdown passes in the postseason. Brady is third all-time on the postseason touchdown list, behind Joe Montana (45) and Brett Favre (44). Brady ranks fourth on the NFL’s all-time postseason passing yardage list with 5,629 career passing yards after moving past Dan Marino and John Elway in the 2011 postseason. He leads all quarterbacks with 524 postseason completions.

TOM BRADY WINS 17th CAREER POSTSEASON GAMETom Brady won his 17th career postseason game to improve to a 17-6 overall postseason record. His 17 career postseason victories are the most in NFL history. His .739 winning percentage in the postseason is the best postseason winning percentage by a starting quarterback (minimum of 15 starts). Brady and Joe Montana are the only NFL players with 15 or more wins. Brady is now 11-2 in home postseason games.

BRADY TIES JOE MONANTA FOR SECOND WITH HIS 23RD POSTSEASON STARTTom Brady made his 23rd start in the postseason and is now tied with Joe Montana (23) for the second most starts by a quarterback in postseason play, behind Brett Favre (24).

BRADY SETS PATRIOTS MARK WITH HIS 23RD POSTSEASON GAMETom Brady played in his 23rd postseason game with the Patriots and now leads all Patriots players with the most postseason games played. He entered this week tied with Tedy Bruschi with 22 postseason games played.

BELICHICK MOVES INTO THIRD ON POSTSEASON WINS LIST With the victory over Houston, Bill Belichick collected his 18 playoff win and broke a tie with Joe Gibbs for third-most among head coaches in NFL history. Belichick is behind only Tom Landry (20) and Don Shula (19) in career postseason wins. With an 18-7 postseason record, Belichick has the third best postseason record by a head coach in NFL history. Belichick trails only Vince Lombardi (9-1, .900) and Tom Flores (8-3, .727).

WELKER IS POSTSEASON RECEIVING MACHINE With eight receptions against Houston, Wes Welker passed Troy Brown (58) for most postseason receptions in Patriots history. Welker extended his streak of postseason games with at least six catches to eight and raised his career playoff total to 61 receptions in just eight career playoff games. Welker is averaging 7.6 receptions per game in the playoffs. Welker had a playoff career high of 11 receptions in Super Bowl XLII, tied with Deion Branch, Jerry Rice and Dan Ross for a Super Bowl record.

WELKER SETS POSTSEASON CAREER-HIGH Wes Welker finished the game 131 yards. It is the 16th time a Patriots player has had 100 yards receiving in a postseason game. It is Welker’s second 100-yard postseason game. He had 11 receptions for 103 yards in Super Bowl XLII vs. NY Giants (02-03-08). Welker had 120 yards receiving in the first half. It is the fourth 100-yard half by a Patriots player and the second most ever behind Deion Branch, who had 122 yards receiving on Jan.14, 2006 at Denver in an AFC Divisional Playoff game. .Welker has gained 100 yards receiving in a half nine times in the regular season. (6 in the first half and 3 in the second half). He accomplished the feat one time in 2012 when he had 7 receptions for 102 yards on Oct. 14, 2012 at Seattle in a game where he finished with 10 receptions for 138 yards.

VEREEN TIES TEAM POSTSEASON MARK WITH THREE TOUCHDOWNS RB Shane Vereen scored three touchdowns against Houston, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, an 8-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter and a 33-yard reception in the fourth quarter. His three touchdowns overall ties a team postseason mark. Curtis Martin had three rushing touchdowns vs. Pittsburgh on Jan. 5, 1997 and Rob Gronkowski had three receiving touchdowns vs. Denver on Jan. 14, 2012.

ZOLTAN MESKO HAS SECOND AND THIRD LONGEST PUNTS IN PATRIOTS POSTSEASON HISTORY Zoltan Mesko had two 60 yard punts in the game, with a 61-yard punt in the first quarter and a 64-yard punt in the fourth quarter, good for the second and third longest punts in Patriots postseason history. The longest punt in the playoffs for the Patriots was a 68 yarder by Tom Yewcic at San Diego (Jan. 5, 1964). Mesko’s longest career punt is a 65 yarder (vs. Baltimore on Oct. 17, 2010 and vs. Miami Dec. 24, 2011).